Too Late
by L'ottavo Horcrux
Summary: Draco has something to do, if he fails it will have dire consequences. Will he be too late?


Just a one shot, it just came to me so I thought I should write it down. I'm not sure about how it's worked out but this is it. Could you please review to tell me your thoughts? Thank you if you do.

L'ottavo Horcrux.

**Too Late**

Leaning back in the comfortable leather chair in his office Draco Malfoy looked down at the piece of parchment he had been writing on, a report for the finance department of Malfoy Inc. At the age of thirty one, Draco was the head of the company, he had taken it over when his father had died in Azkaban six years prior, leaving Draco the head of the Malfoy family, he now had all of the money, all of the properties and companies. With his involvement, Draco had brought their name back from the gutter. Again the name "Malfoy" meant something in the wizarding world. It was all thanks to Draco's hard work.

Reading over the report he added one more note to the bottom of it, placing his eagle feather quill back into it's holder on his desk, Draco sent the report to the department using a handy charm that most businesses used to transfer memos. Draco ran a hand through his hair as the large grandfather clock at the opposite side of the room continued to tick slowly, looking around his desk he smiled a picture of a woman and a little boy. He picked the picture up and brought it closer to look at them beaming up from the picture then the child would whisper in the woman's ear and she would laugh then nod. He tilted his head slightly to one side watching them, he still couldn't believe that he had a son and a wife. They looked so happy in the picture the little boy looked like the perfect mix of his two parents.

His hair was darker than Draco's with a slight curl to it but it still looked soft as Draco's. His button nose was from his mother and his large eyes.. They were Draco's slate grey eyes that almost looked silver, they sparkled with childlike glee from the picture, pulling his eyes away from the four year old boy to his mother. Her dark eyes bright, her cheeks had a healthy flush to them. He watched as she blow upwards to push her hair from her eyes since her arms were around the boy.

Draco held the picture for a moment longer before standing, he moved over to the door and opened it a crack to speak to his personal assistant.

"Celeste, I'm going now. As soon as you've finished that letter you can go too. See you in the morning."

Celeste, a petite woman with dark hair and a kind smile, not at all the type of person anybody would believe Draco Malfoy would have as a personal assistant looked up at her boss, "I'll finish the filing too, sir. Goodbye, Mr Malfoy, give my regards to your wife and have a nice meal with the Potters."

"I shall, good day." He offered her a small smile before closing the door to his office, at the age of nineteen, Celeste had only recently finished her education and without much behind her she had come to the interview with mixed and matched clothes, hair dripping wet from the rain, apologising profusely for being five minutes late. Draco remembered hiring her on the spot and he hadn't looked back in the last six year he had been in charge.

Striding across the large office he collected his cloak before walking over to the fireplace he collected a handful of floo powder, he clearly said "Malfoy Manor" as he dropped the powder and disappeared with a rush of flames.

Draco stepped out of the fireplace in the travelling room which was situated right next to the main foyer and frowned looking around. He was usually greeted by his son but today there was nothing, he shrugged the feeling off knowing if they were in his son's bedroom they wouldn't be able to hear him but still he couldn't totally get rid of the feeling something was off.

Draco walked out of the room and his frown intensified, the manor was a lot warmer than it ever had been for the years he had lived there, there were no elves around. The silence was deafening as he wrinkled his nose at a smell, he summarised that one of the newer elves would have had a problem in the kitchen as he headed to the opposite end of the building. The click of his shoes as they hit the marble floor echoed, it was surreal, normally sound wouldn't echo like that, where were the playful noises? Where were the elves?

The hair on the back of Draco's neck stood on end as he looked around and called, "Scorpius?"

He sighed when there was no answer, surely he would have answered, maybe his mother was asleep that's why he didn't answer, never the less, Draco picked up his pace to the chambers for which he was heading, it began to get hotter as he walked and all of his senses where screaming at him to leave. He picked his pace up to a jog when the door came in sight.. His heart plummeted into his stomach when he saw smoke coming out from the bottom of it.

"Scorpius!" He ran to the door and banged on it. His heart hammered as he pulled it away quickly the heat on the door instantly getting to his hand. He faintly heard a cry. "Scorpius!" He touched the door handle and hissed when it burned him but the feeling inside him that he had to do something drowned it out, Draco jumped back as flames roared out of the door straight at him, and around him, engulfing the hall in fire, he felt around for his wand, a reflex action, not knowing why. He finally managed to get it free and he cast a bubblehead charm on himself as he coughed already from the smoke and staying as low as he could he scrambled into the room looking for his son and wife.

The charm allowed him to breathe but the smoke had already been able to effect him as he coughed across, the heat made him feel ready to pass out, his eyes watered from the burn in the air. He looked around before seeing a ball in the corner. They were there. He made his way over to them as quickly as he could as the fire got to him and burnt his arm he dropped to his knees beside them, she was holding Scorpius close to her chest her eyes closed. He frowned at her his mind whirring praying that she'd be okay.. She had to be okay.

He then looked at his son who also had his eyes closed he looked so peaceful, they could both be sleeping where it not for their singed clothes, sooty face and laboured breathing.

He stared at them for a few seconds before getting into action, it would be hard but he had to get them both away, he knew he wouldn't be able to carry them both at the same time so he picked up the little boy who didn't stir, his panic instantly increased as he looked down at his wife, "I'll come back. Stay with me."

Cradling the little boy close to his chest, Draco moved back through the room his heart tugging when he left her there, the hall was now enveloped in fire as were all of the rooms. Draco coughed again holding the boy tighter as he moved, trying to keeping the child away from the flames he finally reached the staircase and cleared them as quickly as possible he walked straight outside and looked back at the house the flames were clearly seen throughout the house, he needed to get back! But, Scorpius needed help.

Draco jumped as someone ran up to him, "Draco! Draco! Where is she?" Potter demanded. Draco vaguely remembered the reason why Ginny and Harry were there, of course they'd come for dinner. Draco looked at him blankly holding his son for a moment before passing him to Ginny.

"Take him, I need to go get her. Call someone to help!" He didn't give them a chance to answer as he ran back into the burning house.

Harry cast a glance at his wife who had gone into her "healer mode" as they often joked and was seeing to Scorpius, "I need to help."

"Go!" She urged him as she checked Scorpius over.

Not needing to be told again, Harry followed Draco into the house and he instantly began to cough as he looked around for Draco, he saw the blonde man run up the stairs keeping as far away from the burning wall as possible without touching the metal railing, Harry dashed after him, jumping over a burning stand.

"Draco!"

Draco paid no heed to hearing the boy who lived as he made his way, as quickly as possible back to Scorpius's room, the flames were almost impossible to get through and he managed to burn his side in the process as he jumped over his son's bed to his wife, he gathered her in his hands and coughed looking around. Harry was now in the room and his eyes fell on the woman.

"Oh Godric... It's fiendfyre, we can't put it out.. Get her out now." Harry shouted as he grabbed Draco's upper arm and pushed him in front of him.

Draco stumbled a little but righted himself, glancing at Harry before heading back the way he came, the flames were now holding everything in it's destructive grasp, he and Harry looked around wildly unable to hear anything but the deafening roar. Draco could hear her breathing come out more laboured as they hit the foyer. Standing behind him, Harry pushed him again not giving them a chance to stop they finally broke out of the house and ran over to Ginny who was now surrounded by aurors and healers. Someone took his wife from him and Draco dropped to the floor as coughs racked his body, Harry stood by his side with a hand on his shoulder murmuring words of comfort that the blonde couldn't hear.

Finally somebody came over to him, "We have to take your son and Mrs Malfoy to St. Mungoes.."

Draco stared at the man so Harry began to talk, "Are they going to be okay?"

The man sighed, "All we can do is stay positive."

Draco stepped back away from them both his eyes wide as he saw someone begin artificial respiration on the woman he ran over to her side and dropped down to his knees, he took her hand in his and pressed his lips to it, the healers said nothing to him, he dimmly heard them mutter amongst themselves but the only words that stood out to him were "dead" and the date. Draco shook his head holding her hand tighter, "No! You can't leave me! Don't you dare. Come back!" He stared at her lifeless body as tears spilled down his face. "No.. No.. Come back. Please don't leave me.. Why can you leave me?"

Harry watched the man who had become a good friend sob over the body when he heard the same man speak near his own wife, "Scorpius Malfoy, died on the thirteenth of March at six p.m." A broken sob came from Draco as he heard the man, he moved to cradle his wife and rocked her.

"You left me.. You both left.." Draco continued to rock her body as his eyes fell on his son. "No.. Why?" He looked up at Harry, once his school enemy now one of his closest friends.

"They're gone, Harry.. They've left me."

Ginny's cries could be heard, mixing with Draco's. Harry was speechless.

Draco dropped his gaze to his wife as he pressed a kiss to her forehead, his tears mingle on his face, "You're amazing. Look after Scorpius.. I love you, Hermione."

When the professional people were able to take Hermione's body away from Draco he stumbled to his son and pressed a kiss to his forehead, "Daddy will always love you, Scorpius."

With fresh tears in his eyes he turned to face the burnt out manor, when he felt Ginny's hand in his and Harry's presence on his other side.

"Come on, Draco, you're coming home with us."

Try as he might he wasn't there in time.

Thirteenth of March was Draco's worst day of the year, it was the year he lost his wife and son.

It was the day the world mourned the loss of a child and a war heroine.

March thirteenth, known as the day Hermione Jean Malfoy and Scorpius Malfoy had died in their own home.

It was the day, Draco Malfoy was too late.


End file.
